Top 10 Dog Friendly Activities in and Around Fort Bragg
Top 10 Dog Friendly Activitiesin and Around Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, California is a charming coastal town known for its scenic beauty and outdoor attractions. If you're visiting with your furry friend, you're in luck—there are plenty of dog-friendly activities to enjoy together as well as dog-friendly lodging and eating establishments. Here’s our list of the top 10 pet-friendly activities in Fort Bragg:
1. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is a must-visit for nature lovers and dog owners alike. This stunning 47-acre garden offers spectacular views of the coastline with well-maintained trails where leashed dogs are welcome. Explore the lush gardens, walk along the coastal bluffs, and enjoy the beautiful flora with your pup by your side.
Details: Dogs are allowed on leash, but must be under control at all times. They even offer water bowls at the entrance!
2. Dog Friendly Hotel Rooms
Many hotels in Fort Bragg offer dog-friendly rooms. The Surf and Sand Lodge and the Noyo Harbor Inn are just two examples and both offer special spaces for your pooch such as enclosed dog park areas and a dog washing station, which is just what might be needed after an afternoon at the beach.
Details: Leashes required on hotel premises.
3. Pomo Bluffs Park
photo: Kim Zuch
Pomo Bluffs Park offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and is another fantastic outdoor space for dogs. There are a variety of trails to explore, some leading to the bluffs offering an excellent spot for a picnic or just soaking in the stunning views. The park is a great place to let your dog burn off some energy while you enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
Details: Dogs must be on leash. Be aware of nearby cliffs, so always keep your dog close.
4. MacKerricher State Park
photo: Hikes Dogs Love
photo: Zelda & Oakley
MacKerricher State Park is a beautiful coastal park that features trails, beaches, and even tide pools. Dogs are allowed on the park’s beaches, which is perfect if your dog loves to play in the sand or take a dip in the ocean. The park also offers opportunities for hiking, with dog-friendly trails leading through diverse landscapes, including marshes and coastal bluffs.
Details: Dogs must be kept on a leash in most areas, but they are free to roam the beach. Be mindful of wildlife like seals, which can sometimes be seen along the shoreline.
5. Ten Mile Beach
photo: California Beaches
For a more expansive beach experience, Ten Mile Beach offers miles of sand and surf for your dog to explore. This remote, quiet beach is great for dogs who enjoy running and playing in wide open spaces. It’s less crowded than some of the other beaches in the area, providing a more relaxed setting for both you and your dog.
Details: Leash laws apply, but you’ll have plenty of room for your dog to explore and play.
6. The Skunk Train
For a truly unique experience, take a ride on the Skunk Train with your dog! Dogs are allowed in the main train cars with a ticket, as well as welcome in the open-air gondola cars, where they can enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest and rugged terrain along the historic route. The train departs from the heart of Fort Bragg, and this fun, dog-friendly ride takes you through the scenic beauty of the Redwoods.
Details: Leashed dogs are welcome on the gondola car with an additional ticket. Reservations are recommended.
7. Grab a Brew
After a long day of outdoor adventures, head over to one of Fort Bragg’s three breweries for a relaxing meal or drink. The breweries, in true Fort Bragg style, are dog friendly to one degree or another. Overtime Brewing Co. and North Coast Brewing have dog-friendly patios where you can sit with your pup and enjoy craft beers, good food, and a laid-back atmosphere. Well-behaved dogs are welcome at Tall Guy as well. All great spots to unwind after exploring Fort Bragg.
Details: Breweries are popular spots for both locals and tourists with pets, so be sure to bring a leash.
8. The Mendocino Cookie Co.
When it’s time for that morning or afternoon coffee and sugar boost, head to the Company Store building to Mendocino Cookie Company. The coffees and sweets are top notch good, and there will surely be a welcoming cookie of the dog variety offered to your pooch.
Details: Leashed dogs are welcome inside the cafe.
9. The C.V. Starr Center Dog Park
The C.V. Starr Center Dog Park in Fort Bragg is a spacious, well-maintained park designed specifically for dogs to run, play, and socialize off-leash. With plenty of grass, shade, and benches for owners, it’s a popular spot for both locals and visitors to let their dogs stretch their legs and enjoy the outdoors. The park is fully fenced, offering peace of mind while your dog plays freely.
Details: The park features separate areas for large and small dogs, ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for all pups.
10. Sea Pal Cove
Located right on the pier, Sea Pal Cove is a casual gem of a spot that serves up fresh fish & chips with stunning harbor views. All seating is on the outdoor patio, and is dog-friendly. Enjoy your meal outdoors as fishing boats glide by with your pup at your side, probably looking at you with hopeful eyes that a morsel will come her way.
WINTER WANDERLAND
WINTER WANDERLAND
Explore these ten great winter activities in Fort Bragg.If you only think of the North Coast as a summer getaway, you’re missing one of the most amazing times of year. Make Fort Bragg your home base for a winter visit, and you’ll find the adventures are endless. There are so many places to go, things to do, explore, sip, taste and enjoy. Sure, the weather can be changeable, but that just makes the fresh chowder a little warmer, the craft beer a bit cooler, the redwoods even more mystical and the beaches all yours.
1. Get A Great Hotel Deal
Multiple Fort Bragg hotels offer special pricing for winter visitors. Click the link below to get the best deals. Once you see how much there is to do, you’ll want to use the savings to spend a few extra days.
2. Wine Your Way Into Town
Mendocino County was recently recognized as Wine Enthusiasts 2024 Wine Region of the Year. And, with a little planning, you’ll be cruising right through the heart of wine country on your way to Fort Bragg. Coming from the east, be sure to take Highway 128 and you’ll pass dozens of great wineries. Have a designated driver and be sure to pick up a couple of bottles for your stay on the coast.
3. Forest Bathe at Russian Gulch State Park
Whatever the weather, Russian Gulch State Park delivers. Hike from the waves to the wilderness. Wander among the redwoods. Find your own private waterfall. Forage for wild mushrooms (bring a good guide!). Explore a rare pygmy forest. Tired yet? You will be. Fortunately, you’re just a few minutes from Downtown Fort Bragg.
4. Chowder Down at Noyo Harbor
At this working fishing harbor near the mouth of the Noyo River you can dine on fresh-off-the-boat seafood as the boats come in and the seals and sea lions frolic right off the dock. Noyo Fish Company has chowder in a bowl or bread and Princess Seafood has chowder, bisques and always something locally caught. Check out specials of the day at Casa del Sol and the fish and chips at Sea Pal Cove.
5. Do the Downtown Fort Bragg Dive Bar Scene
What’s better after a big outdoor adventure than bellying up to a big old mahogany bar and cavorting with the locals. Fort Bragg has a whole host of watering holes at the unpretentious end of the spectrum. Put a put a few songs on the jukebox and rack up a game of pool at Golden West Saloon, Milano Hotel & Bar or Welcome Inn.
6. Get Glass Beach To Yourself
It’s not often that you can get the North Coast’s most well-known beach, with its wave-worn colored glass speckled through the sand all to yourself. But that’s part of the beauty of making Fort Bragg your home base during the off-season. Time it right and you can do some great tide-pooling, too. Just remember to leave the glass, and the sea creatures in their natural habitat.
7. Watch For Whales
The off-season in Fort Bragg is migration season for gray whales and, while you can catch them from the coast, there’s nothing like a whale watching charter cruise. All Aboard Adventures, Anchor Charter Boats, Fort Bragg Fishing, Hooked on Mendo, and Telstar Charters all offer whale watching and fishing charters.
8. Crawl The Downtown Craft Breweries
Fort Bragg has a handful of local breweries all within a few blocks, all with great food and beer. There’s the legendary North Coast Brewing Company with a wide selection of beers, including a few of your favorites. Mosey down a few blocks to Overtime Brewing where the vibe is local-friendly, and the beer is brewed in-house. Tall Guy Brewing, in the heart of downtown, has an open, easy, comfy feel for a cool beer and a warm welcome.
9. Stroll the Botanical Gardens
This time of year at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, the rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias are just beginning to bloom, but it’s also when some less obvious beauty is revealed. Misty sunbeams stream through the pines. Whale spouts rise in the ocean distance. Dew drops glisten on luscious ferns and wild mushrooms, 160 different species of which can be found on the garden property.
10. Ride the Rails with the Skunk Train
Start in Fort Bragg, and head back in time by riding the famous Skunk Train deep into the heart of the redwood groves in the gorgeous mountains and riverside valleys of Mendocino County. Take the historic train or go pedal power on a rail bike for an even more immersive adventure. Electric rail bikes are now available, too.
Head to the coast and shop
Upcycle In Style
Vintage finds have exploded in Fort Bragg. This chill coastal town is packed with second-hand stores where you can score everything from retro denim to mid-century home decor. It’s like a treasure hunt with ocean views! Find vintage and thrift shops all throughout town, along Highway 1, downtown shop fronts and weekly flea markets. Bonus points awarded for the most uniquely random finds! Plus, shopping vintage here feels super eco-friendly, so you’re basically saving the planet in style.
Find Hidden Arts
Fort Bragg’s not just about the ocean breeze and cute cafes. There is an awesome scene of original art – think hidden galleries squeezed between shops, murals popping up on random buildings, and artists selling their work right from their studios. Forget the Insta-famous stuff; this is real, authentic art, way more interesting than any museum. Ditch the itinerary and get lost – that’s where the good stuff is.
Get Cultured
Time for some old-school vibes with bookstores & music shops, where you can spend hours thumbing through dog-eared paperbacks and vintage vinyl — think weathered wood shelves stacked with used books and that unmistakable musty-sweet record store smell. Find a first pressing of The Pixies’ “Surfer Rosa” tucked between some random folk albums. Find an entire shelf of British murder mysteries across from a collection of North Coast authored poetry anthologies. It’s worth the drive up the coast just for the treasure hunting alone.
Gear Up
Not just another sleepy California coastal town—it’s a lowkey fashion frontier where utility meets style in the most unexpected ways. One shop, brimming with handcrafted jewelry and bohemian-chic dresses, another featuring vintage finds with that perfectly worn-in, effortless style you’ll adore. Forget the predictable souvenir shopping, leave with a renewed wardrobe and a sense of discovery that will blow away the typical beach town experience.
Live The Good Life
Finding yourself thinking of the comforts of home? A quick tour through the local shops will provide you with some homey finds to tuck away in your suitcase or car. Score some handwoven throw pillows from an import marketplace, snag a locally made reclaimed wood side table, and pick up some ceramic mugs crafted by a local artisan. More utilitarian creature comforts can also be found, such as cookware and serve ware, games and even tools. In Fort Bragg, there’s something for everyone and every home.
24 hours in Fort Bragg - October
Follow the ocean breeze.
Nothing cures the inland blues like the fresh ocean air and a killer seafood fix. So, we ditched the valley and hit the road to Fort Bragg for the ultimate overnight trip. First stop: Princess Seafood, because what’s a coastal adventure without fresh-off-the-boat chow? Picture this—sunshine bouncing off the water, crab rolls loaded with buttery perfection, and tacos made from fish so fresh you'll never eat anything that's been frozen again. It’s the kind of spot that makes you forget about the emails you ignored before leaving.
Walk it off.
Fort Bragg is serving major cozy coastal vibes, and after a killer seafood lunch in the harbor, time for a sweet little trek to Noyo Headlands Park. The ocean air hits different here—salty, crisp breezes bring just the right flush to cheeks. Walking off the meal, snapping pics of the rugged cliffs and wild waves crashing below, we'd wondered what took us so long to get here. Honestly, this stretch of the Mendocino coast is the ultimate vibe for a chill yet epic day out.
Meet funky small-town energy tinged with coastal charm.
Fort Bragg is the vibe you didn’t know you needed. Picture this: you walk through downtown, where coastal charm meets funky small-town energy. Then ducking into artsy boutiques and snagging locally made soaps that smell like ocean dreams, then popping into a retro bookstore that feels like a portal to another timeline. Street murals make every corner Instagram-worthy, and the faint scent of sea salt lingers in the air. Then pause for coffee at a café that roasts beans so fresh it feels like the barista just invented caffeine. Fort Bragg? 10/10 date spot.
Check-in and chill.
After hitting up the beach, devouring fish tacos by the harbor, and snapping a million pics of the rugged coastline—it’s finally time to chill. Pull up to the Noyo Harbor Inn, which is perfectly coastal cozy. Nestled right above the harbor, this place has that perfect mix of boutique charm and luxury. Check in, drop your bags, and step onto the balcony with a view is straight out of a movie: fishing boats bobbing in the twilight, seals barking in the distance, and the salty breeze doing its thing. Time to unwind, Fort Bragg style.
Wrap up the day.
A full day of strolling through Fort Bragg’s shops and scoring everything from coastal candles to vintage flannels, it’s time to wind down the adventure with dinner at Overtime Brewery. The vibes are chill, with twinkly lights and locals swapping stories at the bar. You grab a table near the fire pit, order a flight of their craft brews (the hazy IPA slaps), and dive into french fries so good it feels like a hug after a long day. It’s the perfect spot to soak in that small-town charm before calling it a day on the beautiful NorCal coast.
Re-fuel for the drive home.
The next morning, before we hit the road back home from our epic Fort Bragg adventure, we stopped at this absolute gem called Cafe One. Order the Huevos Diversadero, it will save your life after days of road trip fun. This spot was the perfect send-off meal before our drive home, giving us those much-needed road trip fuel and enough caffeine to keep going. Cafe One understood the assignment, and we 100% recommend this spot to literally everyone.
